“What I am concerned about now is a possible worker shortage problem,” he says. “This is because some workers might not return to work due to concerns that the factories might be flooded and closed again.”

The Labor Ministry has launched a “Friends Help Friends”' project under which laid-off workers could be employed for two to three months in provinces that were not hit by the flooding.

Labor Protection and Welfare Department Director-General Arthit Ismo says 599 factories in 46 provinces have signed on for the scheme. Of 71,112 available jobs, 11,775 affected workers have applied thus far.